São Paulo – The citizens of São Paulo have a real interest in getting to know the cultures of other nations. That was the perception of the undersecretary of Oman’s Ministry of Culture, Hamed Bin Hilal Al-Ma’amari, about the way the city of São Paulo welcomed the initiatives that his government is promoting in the country this week. Since earlier in the week the event the Cultural Days of Oman in Brazil is taking place at Eldorado shopping mall with an exhibition that started on Wednesday and is open until Sunday (2nd). Starting next Wednesday (5th) the exhibition will be in Rio de Janeiro.
Ma’amari talked about the topic in a dinner that the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Comerce and the Federation of Muslims Associations in Brazil (Fambras) held in honor of the Omani delegation on Thursday (30th) night at restaurant Figueira Rubaiyat. “We feel that there’s a genuine interest in the citizens of São Paulo in getting to know other culture, the culture of other nation”, said Ma’amari in an interview to ANBA. He said that the initiative’s goal is to promote the peace and harmony in the world.
A number of representatives of several religious communities of São Paulo were invited for the dinner, from Muslims to Druzes and Orthodox Christians, precisely with the goal to symbolize the initiative for peace and to show that Oman is a country where there’s a pacific coexistence. “Oman has been distinguishing itself in the education revolution and for being an example of religious tolerance”, said Fambras’s vice-president, Ali Hussein El Zogbi during the dinner.
Oman’s ambassador, Khalid Said Al Jaradi mentioned that the path for peace is something in common between Brazil and his country. “Brazil and Oman meet and go along this same path, representing the good and peace in this world”, said Jaradi. The diplomat said that the Brazilian coexistence example deserves to be contemplated around the world. “It’s something we believe in in Oman”, he said. Jaradi declared that he is proud of the pacific religious coexistence in the Sultanate. The cultural initiatives promoted in Brazil have as its goal to promote the image of the Arab country and this pacific coexistence as a message for peace.
The board of directors of the Arab Chamber also attended the dinner and the president of the organization’s Council, Walid Yazigi, expressed to the Omanis the immigration ties that unite Brazil and their country. Yazigi said that that he have a personal theory that Omanis were the first Arabs to arrive in Brazil, since they were called ‘mascates’ (peddlers) due to their business activity. He said that the ethnology of the word refers to Muscat, Oman’s capital, which is called Mascate in Portuguese.
Ma’amari took the opportunity to tell a little about his country’s history and immigration. “My ancestors were rulers of the sea”, said the undersecretary, reporting on trade empires build by ancient Omanis in several parts of the world. At the end of dinner, Ma’amari exchange gifts and homages with the leaders of the Arab Chamber and Fambras.
The Omani delegation started its activities in São Paulo’s capital with an inauguration ceremony for the festival on Tuesday (28th), in which a survey about the perception of Arabs by Brazilians was released. There was also an Omani fashion runaway show and presentations of folk music and dance. Next day, the exhibition at Eldorado shopping mall was opened, with henna tattoos, artisans working with wood and weaving wool pieces, besides the exhibition of ornaments, paintings, photos and, also, performances of folk artists.
According to the Arab Chamber’s CEO, Michel Alaby, the exhibition is being well sought by the public. “Oman, with only a few years of an established embassy in Brazil, five years, is privileging Brazil with a series of events and bringing here a knowledge that we didn’t have, it’s an effort for peace, said also the vice-president of Foreign Trade of the Arab Chamber, Rubens Hannun.
The delegation is headed by prince Faket Vin Fahar Bin Timor Al Said, undersecretary of the Arab country’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture of the Arab country, but he couldn’t attend Fambras’ dinner due to health issues. The mission had other commitments such as meetings at the State Secretary of Culture of São Paulo and in library Mário de Andrade, and one with deputy mayor of the city of São Paulo, Nádia Campeão.
According to the manager of Government Relations of the Arab Chamber, Tamer Mansour, who accompanied the delegation, the Culture State Secretary showed an interest in bring over Oman’s Orchestra to play in São Paulo. Deputy Mayor promised to visit the exhibition at Eldorado shopping mall, and with library Mário de Andrade there’s been conversations about cultural exchange.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
